A gutted Su Oh has vowed not to allow her fade-out in the ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open to ruin her season.
Oh, the 20-year-old Melbourne professional who had a chance to win her national championship, could not handle her first experience of playing in the final group on tournament Sunday.
She slumped to a 77, four-over par, and was never a threat to win the tournament as Ha Na Jang of South Korea destroyed her opposition with a back nine of 31 and a closing 69 for a three-shot win.
Oh had to be content with a tied-14th finish, leaving Perth's Minjee Lee, who closed with 70, and Queenslander Sarah Jane Smith as the leading local players at six-under in a tie for third behind Jang and Nanna Madsen.
"I said I was going to fight for it. I lost today,'' said Oh. "It's disappointing but 'don't get too sookie' and pick myself up.''
The Victorian made six bogeys and two birdies for her round, her troubles starting at the par-four sixth where she hit a brilliant shot to the green from a tough spot in the rough, but three-putted.
It summed up her day, and all she could do was focus on was the future — Thailand next week and then Singapore. "It feels like the end of the world but it's really not,'' she said. "It's just another event. Mondays of the tournaments are kind of sad. You build the whole year up for this. Hana won so I'm really happy for her, then Monday comes and you're like 'next event'. It's really disappointing for me but by the time it comes to Thursday, I'm pretty sure it'll be in the past.''
Smith played in the second-last group and was within a shot of the lead midway through her round before the Jang explosion buried her, but the 32-year-old took a philosophical approach.
"Obviously I haven't been in this position a whole lot,'' she said. "I don't think I threw it away necessarily, but I definitely had chances, so it's disappointing that I couldn't get this one, it's one of my favorite places, so it would've been sweet to get it here. But I'm not that shattered or anything. I would've been disappointed if I got out there and I was nervy and hit bad shots, but it sort of wasn't really my day out there.''
Lee began the final day four shots back and had a hint of a chance when she rolled in a long putt for eagle on the par-five 17th, reaching six-under par. But ultimately it was not enough. "It's okay, I mean, every week’s a learning experience,'' she said. "I will always have something to take away from this week.''
The other Australian to have a strong result this week was 20-year-old Perth rookie pro Hannah Green, who had an excellent, closing 71 to finish tied-seventh.
"I'm really excited,'' said Green. "I feel like I belong on the LPGA, so I just hope to play some good golf in Symetra (Tour), make some money, get some more experience there and we’ll see how things go.''